Janey Shields
by Hazuzu
Summary: Athena lets Janey try out her shield as a special treat.


'Twas a lovely day in the Rust Commons.

Well, as lovely as days could get in a subterranean junkyard.

But a lovelier day still for a particular peculiar couple. Along the edge of Hollow Point stood a little home beside a junk dealer's storeroom. A little mailbox stood just outside the front door. The rusty exterior and bent pole were lit up, just a little, by colorful paint and a few plastic flowers. And that mailbox read: Athena and Janey's Place (Piss off).

Inside, Janey was sat in her best overalls, just packing away the dishes she'd finished drying.

"So, babe. We gonna exchange gifts now?" Janey asked over her shoulder, where Athena was busying herself with something beside the fireplace. "No pressure. None at all. But it'd be nice to get them now, you know? I've got you something real nice, is all."

"You're excited? I couldn't have guessed," Athena said, as she pushed aside a framed copy of Janey's first published book and opened the safe behind it. "Maybe it was the jumping on the bed to wake me up," she typed in the code. "Or drawing a gift box in your baked beans."

"Is that it?" Janey gasped, as everything Athena said just slid out the other ear.

"This is i-" Athena paused as she turned around to find Janey standing right in her personal space.

"Gimme!" Janey made grabby hands at the flat box.

"Hmm. I don't know." Athena let her gaze fall to the side. "Do you love me enough?"

"I love you loads!" Janey was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Like, proper love and everything!"

"I don't know..."

Janey leaned in to plant a kiss on Athena's cheek.

"Stop teasing and give me prezzies!"

"Okay." Athena couldn't stop her smile as she handed the flat box over.

Janey tore the ribbon off of the top of the box, then tossed it aside with the wrapping in one fell swoop. She yanked off the top of the box to reveal… Athena's shield sat inside, its scarred face staring up at her.

"Not for nothing, babe, but… Don't we already have one of these?" Janey asked, as she grabbed its cool surface in one hand and weighed it.

"Obviously we do. Your anniversary gift is getting to play with it for the rest of the day." Athena put a hand on her hip and scanned Janey's expression.

"Play with it?" Janey looked up at her. "I'm not a child..."

"Okay then, give it ba-"

"Piss off! This is bonza!" Janey beamed, as she slapped the wrist device on and span around. "Oh, tits. All our stuff's in here."

"I've set up a little training area in your… Office." Athen took Janey by the unarmed hand and led her through the door, out to the junk-filled room that served as Janey's primary means of business. Several crates had been stacked up along the walls, across the floor, each topped with little targets. Some were old helmets, others bottles, and they were conveniently color-coded for difficulty.

"Sweet as." Janey nodded approvingly as she stepped over to the little chalk line Athena had made on the floor. "I'm gonna take out the ugly one." She reared her arm back and found it was locked in a steely grip.

"Not so fast." Athena released Janey's arm and stepped up behind her. "You throw this thing wrong and we're going to resemble mincemeat."

"You expect me to believe don't have a shield generator in your pocket?" Janey asked as she craned her neck around to peer at Athena.

"It's the spirit of the thing," Athena said, as she placed one hand on Janey's hip and the other on her shield-arm. "Keep your eyes ahead, your stance stable, and an eye on your target. Then bring your arm back and..." She peered around Janey's side as best she could. All of her weight went on Janey's left arm and they both stumbled a bit.

"Are you tryin' to do that romantic thing where you show me how to throw and cop a feel while you're at it?" Janey flashed a smile at Athena.

"… No."

"You so were!" Janey laughed, then patted Athena's head. "Thanks for trying, but I don't think that'll work while you're all… Tiny."

"Nope, wasn't doing it." Athena ran a hand through her Janey-ruffled hair. "Just aim at something and throw it, okay? Go for the ones marked white; they're the easiest."

"Got it. White ones." Janey narrowed her eyes at the targets, inhaled, then swung her arm towards them. The shield arced beautifully through the air, slamming right through the neck of the empty bottle and shattering the rest. She clenched her fist on the sensor and the shield span back to her, slotting back into place like a greased dollar. "Woo! Did you see that, babe?" She spun around to beam at Athena. "Got it in one! Just call me Janey Shields from now on!"

"Yeah, good job." Athena nodded approvingly, her jaw a little slack. She shook her head. "Let's see if it's not beginner's luck. Do it again. Go up to green."

"Gotcha!" Janey grinned and hurled the shield once more. It shattered two bottles and bounced off of a helmet before darting back to her wrist. She hollered in delight and held up her hand for a high-five.

Athena stared at the shattered bottles, the dented helmet, and came back to reality just in time to give Janey a high-five.

"Impressive," Athena said. She put her hands on her hips and nodded at the crates marked with orange. "Why don't you try to hit those for me, Janey?"

"Too easy!" Janey tossed the shield with all her might. It hit a helmet, tore through a six-strong pack of bottles, hit the helmet on the opposite side, rebounded off of the ceiling, and soared through a stack of miniature crate. As it flew back to Janey's hand, the stack fell as a carpet of glass.

"You're surprisingly good at this," Athena said flatly. She narrowed her eyes at the fallen glass.

"Am I?" Janey bit her lip as she glanced at Athena. "Must be all the junk I deal with. Oz kits, lasers, that kind of thing. You don't obliterate a dozen kraggons without knowing a thing or two about fighting." She giggled nervously.

"Janey..." Athena put her hands on her hips.

"Babe?" Janey looked everywhere but at Athena's eyes.

"Have you been using my shield behind my back?"

"Pfft. Nah. No. Whatcha talkin' about?" Janey shook her head. "Completely nonsense. Never touched it before. Never even seen it, really. I don't even like shields. What are they? How do they work?" She scratched her neck. "I mean, really. Me. Using your shield. Can you imagine? I couldn't throw it five feet without knocking me on my arse. You gotta be jokin' me. And uh… I… Uh." She coughed. "I was kinda hoping you'd interrupt me."

"And ruin the fun?" Athena shook her head. "Honestly, I'm more disappointed that my gift is ruined. Teaching you to use my shield was going to be my whole day."

"Aww, babe." Janey leaned down and wrapped Athena in a tight hug. "Just giving me permission is all the gift I need."

"Thanks." Athena kissed Janey's cheek.

"Andnevergoingbountyhuntingeveragain."

"What?"

"What?"


End file.
